The Holden Roundup

BREAK-IN REPORTED: Holden police are investigating an early morning break-in at the Goodhile's store this past Monday.

Police received a call at 4:05 a.m. from a woman stating that the store's ice cream stand window was broken and that she feared a break-in had taken place. According to the Holden police log, an officer who responded to the scene confirmed that it was a break-in.

Police Chief George Sherrill said the broken window served as the access point for the alleged suspect(s) to crawl in. Fingerprints were taken from the scene and were being evaluated at The Landmark's Tuesday press time. Police had no immediate suspects, and were still investigating what, if anything, had been taken.

Sherrill said his officers are following up on a report of a suspicious person seen in the area shortly before 11 p.m. the night before. According to the log, a caller reported seeing a male with dark hair, dark T-shirt and sneakers run out from behind a house into the woods in the Manning Street/General Hobbs Road area.

Cruisers responded to that call, but reported finding no one in the area, Sherrill said.

Monday's break-in is not the first for the local business, he said.

CITIZENS' ADDRESS DISCUSSED: The board of selectmen will review a two-page bulleted list of various ways towns in Massachusetts handle the issue of citizens' address at their meetings.

The board will keep the list in case it decides that a change to that portion of the board's regular meeting is warranted.

Citizens' address is an opportunity for Holden residents and taxpayers to address the board, for three to five minutes, on issues of concern. The address, not a dialogue with the board, is part of the regularly televised meetings.

At its June 19 meeting, the board, in a 3-2 vote, said that citizens' address speakers should only be town residents and taxpayers. It was agreed, however, that if nonresidents wanted to speak to the board, they could contact the town and ask to be considered as a future agenda item.

At that meeting, Selectwoman Kimberly Ferguson said she learned at the annual Massachusetts Municipal Association selectmen's conference that citizens have a right to address the board, however, they are not required to be on camera. She suggested that citizens' address could be held 15 minutes prior to the board's meeting, as long as it is posted. A selectman who attended the workshop reported his board saw an increase in citizen participation by having their citizens' address before the meeting, she said.

On Monday, Ferguson reported the workshop findings to the board. Some towns, she said, offered no opportunity for citizens' address, while others offered the posted "office hours" opportunity to address selectmen one-on-one, outside of regular meeting time. Some, like Holden, offer it during their regular meeting.

Board members offered different viewpoints on a possible change, with Selectman Joseph Sullivan saying he didn't think Holden's citizens' address process should be changed and Selectman James Jumonville saying he'd like to have a discussion with his fellow board members about holding it off camera, prior to the meeting.

Board Chairman David White Sr. suggested the board review Ferguson's report. If a change is warranted in the future, at least the board will have a framework, he said.

DANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WANTED: The Mountview Middle School PTA is once again sponsoring the successful Ballroom Dance and Social Etiquette classes for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in the Wachusett Regional School District, beginning September 29. This is an opportunity for you to help provide a very important program that enhances the self-esteem of the community's youth. To get more information on becoming a member of this committee, call Lu Ann Pacenka at (508) 852-2006 for more information.

PHOTOS ONLINE: Holden photographer Ronald Rosenstock, of Sunnyside Avenue, will be featured in an on-line gallery exhibit at www.caladangallery.com until August 9. His 15-photograph, black and white desert exhibit is called "Brilliant Desert."

The exhibit includes mountainous, canyon and dune shots from Death Valley in California and of Sahara sandscapes in Morocco.

Rosenstock has exhibited in more than 100 exhibitions here and abroad. A book author, teacher and photography tour leader since 1967, Rosenstock says, "My photographs are an attempt to understand the process of creation. They represent a personal search for answers to which the questions as well as the answers are wordless. I regard photography not just as a way of seeing, but as a way of living, a search or an exploration."

If you've spotted a story, scratched your head or gottenan idea about something in town, we'd love to hearabout it. Call Robin Harned, the Holden reporter, at(508) 829-5981, ext. 33, or e-mail her at rharned@holdenlandmark.com.